S3E5: Sabbath Questions & Answers

Summary

How should we view the Sabbath in light of Old and New Testament teaching? What does Sabbath rest look like, and how can you plan for it around kids, work demands, and other obligations? The team tackles the most common questions about the Sabbath in this episode of The Faith & Work Podcast.

Highlights

On God modeling rest:

“I think one of the reasons that God rested is to model what it meant to be fully human for us. [Representing God in the world] takes this expression through a cultural mandate that we would create and we would cultivate and we’d make more of the world. Human beings are limited. God is not.”

On Sabbath rest as an antidote to idolatry:

“In what ways might work become an idol for you? It could be sacrificing yourself and your personal health and family relationships for the pursuit of a certain level of professional achievement; that becomes an idol. Or revealing fears. ‘What will happen if I am not fully available? What will other people think?'”

On figuring out what Sabbath looks like:

“It would serve people really well to do some intentional reflection around a few questions. What will they say no to? What are the things they need to limit? What do they need be saying yes to? What are those things that are intentionally restorative to them? What types of practices during the week would they love to give themselves to, to connect with God, but they don’t feel like they have the time? That’s the Sabbath. That’s what it’s there for.”